Gujarat government to withdraw 90 per cent cases related to Patidar agitation

Members of Patidar community court arrest during “Jail Bharo Andolan” demanding the release of Convener of Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti Hardik Patel in Surat on Sunday. (Source: File/PTI Photo)

The Gujarat government on Sunday said it would withdraw 90 per cent police cases lodged against Patidar community members during the state-wide agitation, led by their leader Hardik Patel, for reservation under OBC category last year. A review committee headed by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel met on July 29 to discuss the matter “sympathetically” after leaders from the agitating community made repeated appeals to her to get the cases withdrawn, an official statement said.

“After discussion, Anandiben decided to withdraw around 90 per cent of cases lodged against Patidar community members in connection with the (reservation) agitation,” it said. The government had earlier ordered withdrawal of 155 cases. At a meeting last Friday, Anandiben ordered to withdraw 54 more cases in addition to the 155 cases. She also ordered the state home department to take necessary steps to withdraw an additional 182 cases at the earliest, the statement said.

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With this, 391, or nearly 90 per cent, out of a total of 438 cases lodged against Patidar community members will be withdrawn. A mass gathering of the Patidar community members on August 25 last year had turned violent. Patidar leader and convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Hardik Patel was also among those arrested in connection with the vandalism.

He was recently granted bail by the Gujarat High Court in two sedition cases as well as Visnagar loot and vandalism case and is presently residing in Udaipur as per the bail condition.